Songs of Praise and Devotion-An Inquiry into the Mesopotamian Kettle-Drum Ritual

Abstract

Summary This thesis aims at taking a thorough look at the Mesopotamian kettle-drum ritual, a ritual in which the temple kettle-drum was covered with the hide from a bull. The ritual was performed by a particular kind of priests, the kalû, which perhaps can be classified as singing-priests with responsibility for the hymns sung in the temple. Several different genres of hymns existed and in this thesis I take a closer look at two of the genres as well as providing information on the kalû-profession. This has been done in order to present some background information relevant for the thesis. The main focus of this thesis has been twofold. I have collected most of the hymns mentioned in the five kettle-drum ritual texts known to us, and these have been translated, with the help of existing translations, from the original Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform script. In addition to the mere philological task of translating the hymns, I have attempted an analysis of this ritual with a special focus on how the ancient Mesopotamians used the kettle-drum to create a microcosm. I have argued this point based on the five ritual texts where information is provided concerning the inclusion of the different realms into the kettle-drum. Moreover, I believe the hymns to support the view of the drum as a microcosm, as the content of the hymns reflects the drum-making process: while the drum is incomplete, the tone of the hymns is one of lamentation and despair, the world (the drum) is in a state of chaos and this sentiment is reflected in the hymns. When the kettle-drum is complete, the world once more seems to be in order.